I agree with you here, but I think maybe some people forget that Morgan is only 5 months old.
Maybe that IS what is going on! I have been confused all day about why I was suddenly getting targeted for using a crate. Though, I would have thought that Morgan's age was apparent since I've been asking for help here in the Puppy Forum, but misconceptions happen.
Anyways, Morgan IS only 5 months old. He is teething, and he is NOT 100% housebroken yet. He is in his crate when we are not able to supervise him (ie: asleep or at work).
Dizzy,
As for the amount of time he is in his crate, here is your answer: At night, he is crated for about six hours on average. While my husband does wake up later in the morning, he also goes to bed later than I do... which gives Morgan less than a full 8-hour night in the crate. While we are at work, he is crated for 3-4 hours the first half of the day. My husband comes home over his lunch break to give Morgan about an hour out of his crate. When he goes back to work, Morgan is crated again for another 3-4 hours until my husband comes home.
So the total there is as much as 14 hours, though sometimes less if my husband can work from home. Yes, it's a lot, but as has been mentioned before, my options are limited. But Morgan does have toys in his crate during the day, including a kong which we stuff with kibble and/or a rope which we soak and freeze overnight so he has something to feel good against his gums since he is teething.
Finally, I just want to be clear with everyone that the crate is not intended to be a permanent thing. The goal is to have Morgan trained and ready to eventually have his crate left open at night and while we are gone during the day. However, he is going to have to earn it. Unsupervised free-range time isn't going to happen until he is completely housebroken and done with this major chewing phase. From what I understood, that is the whole point of the crate-training strategy.
